asked the Minister for Defence if he has examined the situation in regard to representative bodies and unions in other European Armies, and the precise reasons why such means of making representations should not be made available here.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - European Armies Representative Bodies.
13.
From such information as I have at my disposal it would appear that certain European countries permit the existence of representative bodies within their armed forces. In these countries national service or conscription is used as a means of recruitment. There is no direct comparison, in such cases, with the position in Ireland, which maintains a volunteer army.
Pursuant to an order made by the Minister for Defence under the Defence Act, 1954, the Chief of Staff is assigned responsibility for military proposals in regard to conditions of service, pay and allowances and retired pay and pensions for members of the Defence Forces.
The conditions of service of members of the Forces are under constant and sympathetic consideration and any improvements which are regarded as warranted are made.
The welfare of the Defence Forces has been at all times the special care of successive Governments. Other countries no doubt adopt procedures best suited to their requirements. In our case the longstanding arrangements for settling the conditions of service of the Defence Forces have worked well and it is not proposed to disturb them.
Would the Minister accept that there is a growing feeling within the Army that it would be entirely beneficial to the morale and discipline of the forces, notwithstanding its constraints relative to security and discipline, that there should be now a parallel structure similar to that of the Garda Síochána and that the Army should in fact have an Army representative body, perhaps of a less flexible nature than in the Garda Síochána, but that it is entirely reasonable to suggest that in 1980 that kind of industrial relations structure should in fact exist?
I am not aware of such a feeling. As I mentioned in my reply, as far as my information goes the armies which permit representative bodies utilise national service or conscription to maintain those forces. I am not aware of the existence of representative bodies for the defence forces of countries which have volunteer armies such as we have. I would mention here that the welfare of the Defence Forces has always been the special care of successive Governments and very worthwhile improvements have been made in relation to the Army over the last number of years. I am satisfied that the system that is being operated at present is satisfactory.